Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Tone on tone ivory embroidered eyelet is done in a stripe pattern with a 3" repeat. The base fabric is brushed with a tiny faille weave. The hand has a lovely drape not stiff at all. Make a tunic or shirtdress.

Stripes are in the forefront of fashion for spring 2011. The fabric is a dress weight stretch poplin with a good drape. The stripes have a 4-5/8" repeat with the stretch going lengthwise. Perfect for a tunic, a summer jacket or sheath dress.

Alterations: I cut a size 40 and had no alterations. The finished length is 20-1/2" so consider this before you cut your fabric.

Construction Details: This is a 1-1/2 dot, easy-to-sew pattern and can be made in a few hours. The pattern calls for a "stretch waistband" which I assume is the same as the wide waistband elastic that was popular a few years ago. Instead, I cut a waistband out of the fashion fabric.

1) Using 1" elastic, cut fabric 3-1/4" wide and the length of the waist.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

This gorgeous jersey animal print has a Cavalli feel to it! It has excellent crosswise stretch and some lengthwise stretch. The colors range from cream to yellow and toast to dark chocolate. Wrap dresses, maxi dresses, or tops are perfect for this fabric.

This lovely jersey knit will be a great addition to your spring/summer wardrobe. This has a beautiful drape with good crosswise stretch but less stretch lengthwise. The Kaleidoscope print colors are lemongrass, bright olive, terra cotta and brown. Make a top, boho style skirt or wrap dress.

Animal prints are a big trend for spring 2011. This is a stable knit with excellent stretch lengthwise and crosswise. The hand has a cottony feel with colors of white, rose beige and dark chocolate. Make a cardigan, dress or top.

Light weight and breezy, this T-shirt knit has a fun print of abstract wings in a stripe formation. Excellent crosswise stretch with a little less stretch lengthwise. The colorway is oatmeal, black, grape and steel blue. Sew up a T-shirt with gathers or draping.

Corals and pinks are big fashion news for spring/summer 2011 and this knit is a great combo of both colors. This is a stable knit with good crosswise and lengthwise stretch. Dresses, cardigans or tops will work well with this knit.